Center-sill reinforcement.



T. H. SYMINGTON.

CENTER SILL REINFORCEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1914.

T. H. SYMINGTON. CENTER SILL REINFORCEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9. I914.

Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 buffing and drawing stresses to which THOMAS HARRISON SYMINGTON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

CENTER-SILL REINFORCEMENT.

Lldlifid l.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 113, 1915.

Application filed June a, 1914. Serial in. 843,923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. SYMIXG- 'rox, a citizen of the United States of Amera, residing at the city of Rochester, count) of Monroe, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Center-Sill Reinforcement, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a center sill reinforcement for use on wooden cars.

The equipment of all railroads at the present time includes a large number of wooden freight cars which to meet the present conditions of traflic must be provided with modern draft gear. is applied directly to the wooden center sills, the structure is still insuflicient to resist the stresses which are applied to it, for the attaching bolts pull loose owing to the heavy bailing and drawing stresses and the front ends of the sills frequently break down over the bolster owing to the fact that the draft gear is set below the sills so that the buffing stresses produce a downward moment about the bolster. Under these circumstances, the trade demands, and the applicant has produced, a means for so reinforcing the center sills that they can be made to support the draft gear and resist the heai'y t ie draft rigging is subject under present conditions. In this way it is made possible to rehabilitate the old freight cars and make them available for use without making them at the same time a source of danger and eX- pense, as they cannot help being so long as the old style weak wooden under frames in the form in Which they were originally installed, are in use.

The device of the invention includes metal beams inclosing or covering one or more faces of the Wooden center sills and extending from the front to the rear bolster. The

" cheek plates are mounted upon fiat steel plates, known as draft plates, secured to and depending from the inner faces of the sills, and these draft plates abut at the rear against the metal beams and are preferably secured to them by plates which lap over and are in turn secured to both the draft plates and the reinforcing beams, and while the beams themselves preferably inclose the old wooden sills, the whole structure is rein forced and strengthened by the addition of a wooden beam beneath each sill. This 1 is However, if the draft gear bolted to the center sill, the bolts preferably passing through the metal beam, through the S111 and through the reinforcing timber.

In the preferred form angle irons are used as the reinforcing beams inclosing the sills and the wooden reinforce covers the horizontal flange beneath the sill. but other structural shape may be used. In this manner, the center sills are made so rigid that they resist the heaviest buiiing stresses and at the same time the front and rear draft plates are tied together by a continuous member capable of resisting the greatest tension which can be applied to the draft rigging in drawing. In this way the wooden cars which have become a source of great danger and expense, as the failure of such cars is the cause of many freight wrecks, are rendered as substantial in point of resistance to the excessive stresses of buffing and drawing due to the handling of heavy freight, as are the modern steel under frame cars.

The device of the invention'is more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment.

Figure 1 is a plan of the end portion of the center sills showing the draft plates, reinforcing members, etc, Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the center line of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan on reduced scale; Fig. 4c is a section on the line 4;, 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5, 5 of the same figure; Fig. 6 is a front end elevation showing onehalf the structure; and Fig. 7 is an elevation of a draft plate.

Referring to'the drawings by numerals, the portion of the under frame illustrated consists'of center sills 1., an end sill 2 and a bolster 3. The draft gear, as is well understood, is secured to and mounted between or beneath the end portions of the center sills. In the present instance, draft plates 4: are provided. These are secured to the inner faces of the sills at each end and extend below the sills, the cheek plates 5, and preferably reinforcing members 5, being secured to the depending portions of the draft plates.

In order that the buffing stresses may be distributed to the frame and the stresses so applied that they can be best resisted, the rear portions of these plates rest upon and against the bolster 3, but in order that both the drawing and bufiing stresses may be fur 'ther and most effectively resisted, the-draft plates at the two ends are tied together and spaced by tension and compression resisting reinforcing members, shown in the form of angle beams 6, one of which is applied to each sill, inclosing the sill on two sides, 2'. 0., the bottom and inner faces respectively. These extend from one bolster to the other and are abutted at their ends against the rear ends of the draft plates ff so that the buffing stresses, instead of being merely applied to the ends of the wooden sills, are applied to the reinforcing members and dis tributed by them, through the entire length of the under frame from end to end of the car. Thus the tendency to crush the wooden under frame of one car between the two adjacent cars in bufling is resisted not by the wooden frame alone, but by the reinforcing members for the draft gear at the two ends is connected and spaced by the rigid metal compression and tension members.

Toincrease the compression resistive qualities of the structure, a wooden beam 9 is preferably added. This is placed beneath the sills covering the horizontal flange 10 of the angle beam and is secured to the angle and the sill by means of bOlts 11 passing through all three members. In this way, not only is the compressive strength of the wooden member added to the structure, but the tendency of the flange 10 to buckle is largely overcome by the pressure of the wooden beams applied to both of its lateral surfaces. By thus overcoming the buckling tendency, the compressive strength of the beam is greatly increased as it cannot give under compression until such buckling takes place. 7

To take up the drawing stresses and to hold the reinforcing members in alinement under compression, the draft plates are connected to the angles over the bolster by means of short channel sections 7 and cover plates 8. These members are placed one on each side of the abutting ends of the draft plates and angle irons so that they lap the joint and these four members are bolted to each other and to the wooden sills by bolts passing through the sills as well as by short bolts which extend through the metal reinforce only. Thus the tendency to pull out the draft plates because of the failure of the bolts in the wooden sills as well as the tendency to yield to buffing stresses, is completely overcome, the draft irons with the two ends being connected by continuous metal beams of sufficient strength to over come the greatest stresses which can be applied to them under existing conditions. At the rear the draft plates are spaced and secured together in any suitable way, as by tieplates 1'2.

I have thus described specifically and in detail a single structure embodying the va-' rious features of my invention. However, I desire to have it understood that some of the various details of the structure and the parts composing it are not essential but may be widely varied within thcscope of the invention.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a reinforce for wooden under frames, draft plates secured to the inner faces of the sills, metal compression and tension members secured to the sills and abutting against the rear end of the corresponding draftv plates at each end of the car, and means for seem ing the metal reinforcing members to the draft plates and cheek plates secured to the draft plates below the sills.

2. In a, reinforce for wooden under frames. draft plates secured to the inner faces of the center sills, metal con'ipression and tension beams also secured to the sills extending from the draft plate at one end to the draft plate at the other end of each sill and abutting at their ends against the ends of the draft plates and overlying members on each side connecting the draft plates and tension and compression beams and cheek plates secured. to the draft plates below the sills.

In a. reinforce for wooden under frames, draft plates secured to the inner faces ofthe center sills, metal compression. and tension beams also secured to the sills extending from the draft plate at one end to the draft plate at the other end of each sill and abutting at their ends against the ends of the draft plates, overlying members on each side con necting the draft plates and tension and compression. beams, and a wooden reinforcing member secured to each sill and overly ing a portion of the (JOLIQSIXHNllDg tension and compression beam.

4:. In a reinforce for wooden under frames. draft plates secured to the inner faces of the center sills, metal compression and tension beams of L-shaped cross-section secured to and inclosing the bottom and inner facesao'l each center sill, the said b ams extending from the draftplate at one end to the draft plate at the other end of the correspomling sill and abutting against the ends of the draft plates and overlying members connecting the ends of the draft plates to the ends of the beams.

5. In a reinforce for wooden under frames, draft plates secured to the inner face of the center sills, metal compression and tension beams of L-shaped cross-section secured to and inclos'ing the bottom and inner faces of each center sill, the said beams extending from the draft plate at one end to the draft plate at the other end ofthe corresponding sill and abutting against the ends of the draft plates, overlying members C(llll'lLtitlllfI the ends of the draft plates to the ends of the beams, and wooden reinforcing beams the center sills, metal compression and ten sion beams of L-shaped cross-section secured to and inclosing the bottom and inner faces of each center. sill, the said beams extendin from the draft plate at one end to the draft plate at the'other end of the corresponding sill and abutting against the ends of the draft plates, overlying members connecting the ends of the draft plates to the ends of the beams, and Wooden reinforcing beams secured to the bottoms of the sills and a webbed block connecting the draft plates at the rear. I t

7. In a remforoe for Wooden under frames,

draft plates secured to the inner faces of the center sills, metal compression and tension beams of L-shaped cross-section secured to and inclosing the bottom and inner. faces of each center sill, the said beams extending from the draft plate at one end to the draft plate at the other end of the corresponding sill and abutting against the ends of the draft plates and overlying members connecting the ends of the draft platesto the ends of the beams, the draft plates being shouldered near their end portions, the shoulders abutting against the body bolster. Signed by meat Baltimore, Maryland, this 4th day of June 1914.

THOMAS HARRISON SYMINGTON. Witnesses:

' K. G. MULLAN,

JENNIE FARSON. 

